The New York City Department of Sanitation announced February 23rd, 2018 new rules expanding the City’s commercial organic waste separation program. Some larger restaurants, chain restaurants and grocery stores will now be required to put their food waste to beneficial use, instead of sending it to landfills where it releases methane gas, a harmful greenhouse gas and major contributor to climate change. These rules, that can also be found in the City Records are expected to divert about 50,000 tons of food waste from landfills every year.
- Businesses covered under the new rules include:Restaurants with a floor area of at least 15,000 square feet;
- Chain restaurants with 100 or more locations in the City that operate under common ownership or control, are individually franchised outlets of a parent business, or do business under the same corporate name; and
- Food retailers (grocery stores) having a floor area space of at least 25,000 square feet.
You can also find an abbreviated description of the rules here.
